Te Ao Māori

Mana Party set to announce more candidates

06:19 am on 21 September 2011

The Mana Party is to announce more election candidates at meetings this week.

Veteran peace activist John Minto has confirmed he will contest the general seat of Manukau East.

Lawyer and activist Annette Sykes is set to be confirmed as the candidate for Waiariki at a hui in Rotorua on Thursday night.

Mana leader Hone Harawira is to announce the party's South Island candidates in Otautahi (Christchurch) on Wednesday night.

The chairman of the newly-formed Christchurch branch, Nikora Nitro, says membership has grown fast since Ms Sykes spoke in the city in August.

Mr Nitro says each aspiring Mana candidate must bring 50 supporters to be considered for selection and the southern branch has a core membership of 150 people.

He says there has been a lot of interest in the party being generated by young people on the social networking site Facebook.

Mr Nitro says Mana is striking a chord with students and young voters in the recession.